Monday, September 30, 2013

Fall makes me think of filling soups--first up this year, butternut squash. This version is vegan and gluten free.

--Ingredients--

One butternut squash

One carton of vegetable broth (make sure it is gluten free)

One Vidalia/sweet onion

Olive Oil

Cilantro

Four cloves of garlic

One dried red chile

1 1/2 Tbsp Curry Powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Sage

1/8 tsp Ginger

Salt and Pepper to taste

Coconut Milk

One Lime

Stick blender (or blender)

--Instructions--

Clean off your butternut squash and stab a few holes all over it. Place in an oven preheated to 375 and bake for an hour, until soft. Remove from oven and cool enough to cut in half. Scoop out the seeds. Cut up/scoop out the flesh of the squash--leaving the skin.

Place a soup pot over medium heat. Add a bit of oil and the onion, chopped. While this gets soft, get your spice mixture together.

Smash and finely chop the garlic. Chop/mix in all the spices (including the diced dried chile) and a tablespoon or two of chopped Cilantro, to taste.

Add the spice mixture to the softened onion. Let everything meld together and the garlic soften a bit. At this point, add all of the butternut squash and vegetable broth. You will likely use half to 3/4 of the carton. It varies depending on your squash--keep it on hand as the soup cooks and add as needed. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the temperature and cover for a half hour or so.

Remove from heat and let cool a bit. Use a stick blender to get the soup to a smooth texture or blend, in batches, in a blender. Once smooth, blend in about 2/3 cup of Coconut Milk and stir in the juice from half a lime. Serve with some cilantro and a lime wedge.